Radhika Dinesh began her training in 1980 under the guidance of Mythili Kumar, Artistic Director of Abhinaya Dance Company of San Jose.

At the early age of five, Radhika participated in a pongal program that was featured on the local television station. From that time to this day, she has danced in over 100 programs all over the United States and in India. Some of them are highlighted below.

In addition to performing in several of Abhinaya’s productions, Radhika served as a teacher of Bharatanatyam for over ten years. She taught students of all ages and all levels, including training students for their arangetrams.

Radhika debuted a complex piece on the Dashavatharam, composed by her grandfather, P.V. Natarajan, an ongoing inspiration in her life. Her complicated rhythmic patterns interspersed with graceful abhinaya were well received during the 20th anniversary of Abhinaya Dance Company of San Jose.

She later had the opportunity to participate in a “Next Generation” production, where she was able to showcase an outstanding piece on Lord Ayyappa. These songs were also composed by her grandfather, and tuned by her mother, Vasanthi Kannan.

She has also trained under great gurus from India such as Kalanidhi Narayan, Prof. C.V. Chandrasekhar, and Madurai R. Muralidharan.

Born and raised in California, Radhika is able to relate to children growing up in America. She is able to use her knowledge of the American culture to build long-lasting relationships with her students. She is a credentialed teacher and understands the importance of differentiated instruction. She is able to instruct students individually during a group lesson by tailoring the class to fit the needs of each student.

Furthermore, she won the Balasaraswathi Award for Excellence in Dance in an international dance competition in 1993.

Bharatanatyam, in its highest moment, is the embodiment of music in a visual form", said Balasaraswathi. The sastra's stipulated that a dedicated dancer must be equally dedicated to music. In her demonstrations of Bharata natyam abroad, Balasaraswathi emphasised the connection between dance movement and raga (tune) expression in abhinaya (mime), with the subtle expressions of gamakas (voice modulations), intonations of sruti, and the development of improvisation in niraval"

Radhika hails from a family of musicians and is therefore well versed in carnatic music. With a clear understanding of the nuances of classical music, she is able to explain theory to her students on a complex level. Students will have a well-rounded understanding of musical patterns and how to combine them with dance steps.

She looks forward to teaching this beautiful art form to those who would like to elevate their outlook on life through the discipline of dance.

Upcoming Class

New class for beginner children at 1262 Citadelle St. Tracy, CA 95304 location. Please contact Radhika for more details